Turn back to Psalm 119. Psalm 119, it's been called the
ABC book of scripture. Done so because if you look,
beginning with Psalm 119, all these sections are divided into
eight verses. And each of those begins with
a letter from the Hebrew. I want us to look here this evening
at beginning with verse 33. David writes, teach me. Teach me, O Lord, the way of
thy statutes, and I shall keep them to the end. Teach me, O
Lord. Oh, that the Spirit of God would
be our teacher. Teach me, O Lord. That's his
request. Wouldn't that be a wise request? Back in the book of Exodus, in
Exodus 33, Moses asked the Lord, He said, show me thy glory, reveal
it to me. Do you recall that? What did
the Lord do when Moses made that request? At the request of Moses,
the Lord made all of his goodness pass before him, proclaiming this, proclaiming
the name of the Lord. He said, I'll be gracious to
whom I'll be gracious. I'll be merciful to whom I'll
be merciful. He made his goodness pass. Show me thy glory. What is his
glory? His glory is his goodness to
his people in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Psalm 103-7, I won't
have you turn there, but we read, he made known his ways unto Moses,
his acts unto the children of Israel. Teach me, O Lord, give
me a teachable spirit. Give me a desire to hear thy
word, to know thy word. Remember that eunuch of old?
Remember, as he sat up there in that chariot reading, and
Philip passed by and he said, he said, do you understand what
you're reading? You know, we've asked people,
I'm sure you've done this, you've asked somebody sometime if they
understand. Well, yeah, I understand. They
just jump right back at you. They don't want to be taught.
They know everything. I don't know anything, Lord.
Teach me. Teach me. He said, how can I? How can I know anything except
some man should guide me? He had a desire to know who Isaiah
was writing about. He said, is this prophet talking
about himself or is he talking about some other man? How about
Naaman? Remember Naaman the leper? He
had a teachable spirit. Consider this. He listened to
his wife tell him of something that little girl that was taken
as a slave in battle said about a prophet that was in Israel. Nobody listens to a child, do
they? He had a teachable spirit. The Lord gave him a teachable
spirit, a desire to know, and he went. He went down to Elisha. Nicodemus, he asked the question,
he said, how can a man be born again? How's that possible? Teach me, O Lord. John 6.45, we read, it's written
in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. taught of him. Every man, therefore,
that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me."
It's written in Isaiah, same thing in Isaiah 54, 54, 13, all
thy children shall be taught of the Lord. Those drawn to Christ,
they don't come ignorantly. They're taught of God. taught
by the Spirit of God through the Word of God, taught by men
called of God to preach the gospel. Teach me my need of Christ and
teach me the sufficiency of Christ. And listen, we read that those
who are taught, every one of them who hears, will come to
Christ, will come to Him. Show me now thy way. Teach me, make me, make me to
see. In Psalm 119 verse 34, look here
again in our text, here's a second request. He says, give me understanding. And I shall keep thy law, yea,
I shall observe it with my whole heart. I need to be taught and
I need to learn from what he's pleased to teach me. To have
an understanding of the miracle of his grace wrought in us. to truly know the Lord, to know
Him, to have some understanding of His love, of His majesty,
of His wisdom, of His holiness. Give me an understanding. In the book of Romans 10, we
read, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
And we must hear, not with just the outward ear, but with the
heart. to hear with a desire, to hear
with an understanding, to hear with a need, to know something
of my need of Him. Lord, teach me. Make me to see. Make me to see. Give me an understanding. Make
me to understand the things written in Thy Word. Let's read on. Look at verse 35. Here's the
third request. Make me, make me to go in the
path of thy commandments, for therein do I delight. I need to know the way. I need
him to show me his way. That was Moses' prayer, show
me, show me now thy way. David prayed the same thing in
Psalm 27. He said, teach me thy way, O
Lord, and lead me. Teach me and lead me in a plain
path. Why is that necessary? Well,
if I'm left to myself, we know the answer to that, don't we?
If I am left to myself, I'm going to take the path of the wicked. I'm going to go in the way of
evil men. I'm going to go in the way that
seems right to me. Turn to Romans chapter 7. Hold your place there in Psalm
119, but turn to Romans chapter 7. Beginning with verse 15. Paul said, for that which I do,
I allow not. For what I would do, that do
I not. But what I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I would
not, I consent that the law is good. Now then. It's no more I that do it, but
sin that dwelleth in me. For I know, I know that in me,
that is, in this flesh dwelleth no good thing. For to will is
present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would do,
I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if
I do that, I would not, it's no more I that do it, but sin
that dwells in me. I find then a law that even when I would
do good, evil is present with me. Oh, I delight in the law
of God after the inward man. Listen again, listen to David's
prayer in Psalm 119. Lord, make me, make me to go. Make me to go in the path of
Thy commandments. Make me to go in Thy way. His
commandments, they're not grievous. Make me, make me to go. Turn back to Psalm 119. Look
at verse 36. Here's the fourth request. He says, My heart. That word inclined, it means
to turn. Turn my heart unto thy testimonies. Turn my heart unto thy testimonies
and not to covetousness. Turn my heart to thee. to what you had, not my desires,
turn my heart to thee. In the New Testament, we read
of a man named Demas. Demas was a man that left Paul. He forsook him. Turn with me
just a few scriptures here. Turn first to the book of Colossians. Colossians chapter 4. Turn my heart to thy testimony.
Not to gain, not to the things of this world. Turn my heart
to thee. But look here in Colossians 4 verse 7. I want you to see
this. Look at verse seven, all my state
shall Tichicus declare unto you. He's a beloved brother and a
faithful minister and a fellow servant in the Lord, whom I have
sent unto you for the same purpose that you might know your estate
and comfort your hearts with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved
brother who is one of you. They shall make known unto you
all the things which are done here. Aristarchus, my fellow
prisoner, saluted you. And Marcus, sister son to Barnabas,
touching whom you receive the commandments, if he come unto
you, receive him. And Jesus, which is called Justice,
who of the circumcision. These only are my fellow workers
under the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth
you, always laboring fervently for you in prayer, that you may
stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear
him record that he hath a great zeal for you. And to them that
are at Laodicea and them at Heropolis, Luke, the beloved physician,
and Demas greet you." I read all that. Listen, all these men,
All of them, all of them listed here. Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus,
Marcus, all these, Lucas, Demas, they were fellow laborers in
the Word. And if you look at the end of
this chapter, you'll see that Paul wrote this. He said, written
in my own hand. He said, remember my bonds, grace
be unto you. And he puts his name on it. Mentions
all these men again as fellow laborers. And Demas is one of
them. In Philemon, chapter 1, verse
24, I'll just read it to you. Paul again mentions several men.
Marcus, Aristarchus, Lucas. He said, my fellow laborers. All of them, fellow laborers,
fellow workers, fellow helpers in the gospel. But in 2 Timothy
4.10, Paul writes this, he says, Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world
and is departed unto Thessalonica. Demas had stood by Paul in all
these things and then there came this time and it says, he's forsaken
me. He's left. This was a fellow
laborer in the gospel. He's forsaken me. Could that
happen? Could that happen to us? I wonder, I wonder did Demas,
did he ever come back I just wonder, I wonder, did he ever
return? I'm certain if he did, Paul received
him. I'm just certain of that. Paul
wrote in Galatians, he said, if any man be overtaken in a
fault, ye which are spiritual, restore him. Restore him in the
spirit of meekness. And he goes on to say this, considering
thyself. Well, that could just be any
of us, couldn't it? That could so easily be any of
us. He said, considering thyself,
lest thou also be tempted. Incline my heart. Turn my heart
unto thy testimonies. not to covetousness, not to the
things of this world. We're told, love not the world,
where there's lots of things in this world, catch our eye.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in
him. Is it any wonder the psalmist
makes this request? Turn my heart, continually turn
my heart to thy testimonies and not to covetousness. Well, let's
read on. Psalm 119, look at verse 37. He says here, this is the fifth
request, turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken
thou me in the way." How often, how often does sin
enter through the eyes? With just a look, all the way back there in Genesis
3, 6, the fall. It says this, when the woman,
what? Saw. When the woman saw that
the tree was good for food, it was pleasant to the eyes, a tree
to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof
and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he
did eat. Just started with a look. in
Joshua 7 when the children of Israel had marched around the
city of Jericho and those walls fell. Everything in that city
was accursed. And there was a man named Achan
and he took some of those cursed things and he went and hid them
in his tent. It said this, Achan answered
Joshua and said, Indeed, I have sinned against the Lord God of
Israel, and thus and thus have I done, when I saw. When I saw among the spoils a
goodly Babylonish garment, 200 shekels of silver, a wedge of
gold, a 50 shekels weight, I coveted them, and I took them, and behold,
they are hid in the earth, in the midst of my tent and the
silver under it." How did that start? Achen saw. In 2 Samuel 11, 2 Samuel 11 1,
turn there with me. 2 Samuel 11 verse 1. It came to pass, 2 Samuel 11
verse 1, it came to pass after the year was expired, at the
time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab and his
servants with him and all Israel. And they destroyed the children
of Ammon and besieged Rabbah, but David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an evening
tide that David arose from off his bed, and he walked upon the
roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw. He saw a woman washing herself,
and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent
and inquired after the woman, and one said, Is not this Bathsheba
the daughter of Elam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David
sent messengers and took her, and she came in unto him, and
he lay with her, for she was purified from her uncleanness,
and she returned unto her house." That whole mess started with
just a look. David saw. When he wrote Psalm 119, he certainly,
he wrote from experience, didn't he? Turn away mine eyes from
beholding vanity. Quicken thou me. Lord, quicken
thou me in the way. Turn my eyes from these things. Turn them to behold the Savior. Read on in Psalm 119. Turn back
there to Psalm 119. Verse 38, here's the sixth request. Establish thy word. Establish thy word unto thy servant
who is devoted to thy fear. In 2 Corinthians 4, verse 7,
we read, we have this treasure in an earthen vessel that the
excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. He said, we're troubled on every
side, yet not distressed. We're perplexed, but not in despair. We're persecuted, but not forsaken. Cast down, but not destroyed. Always bearing about in the body
the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. that the life also of Jesus might
be made manifest in our body. The word, the living word, establish
the word, the gospel, the gospel of Christ. Paul calls it here,
he says it's a treasure. It's a treasure to be desired
above all things. It's rich in truth, it's rich
in blessings, Consider some of these jewels. Redemption. Sanctification. Redemption. Justification. It contains rich
and precious promises. Shows forth the riches of God's
grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. Establish thy word unto thy servant. This is just an earthen vessel. a weak and frail creature, subject
to like passions. Establish thy word through thy
servant. That word establish, it can mean
raise it up, exalt it. Give us to comprehend with all
the saints what is the breadth and the width and the length
and the depth and the height, and to know the love of the Lord
Jesus Christ. which passeth, it passeth all
knowledge that we might be filled with the very fullness of Almighty
God. Oh, to have a greater understanding
of His great love for us. Consider the love of Christ for
His church as our surety, as our sin offering, as our righteousness,
Cause me to know more of him. Establish, that's what he said,
establish thy word. Well, the seventh request in
verse 39, turn away my reproach which I
fear for thy judgments are good. Turn away my reproach. David
knew a lot about reproach, the reproach of the enemies, the
reproach of this world, the reproach of sin. David had committed adultery,
he had committed murder, he had revealed that he didn't trust
the Lord in numbering Israel. I just wonder how many times
over in his head did he hear the voice of Nathan saying, Thou
art the man. Listen to David's words in Psalm
Just turn back there, turn back a few pages to Psalm 51. Look beginning with verse 1. I hear men talk about reciting
a sinner's prayer. If there was ever a sinner's
prayer, This is it. Look at Psalm 51, beginning with
verse 1. He says, have mercy upon me. Oh God, according to thy loving
kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out
my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine
iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. I acknowledge my transgression.
My sin is ever before me against thee, and thee only have I sinned
and done this evil in thy sight. He said that thou mightest be
justified when thou speakest, and clear when thou judgest.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity. In sin did my mother conceive
me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the
hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with
hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me. and I shall be whiter
than snow." Turn away. Take it away. Pass over it. What? My reproach, which I fear. For thy judgments are good. And here in Psalm 119, turn back
there one more time. Here's the eighth request, last
request here. Verse 40. Behold, I longed after
thy precepts. David said, I've longed for thy
commandments. I've longed for thy statutes.
And listen to this final request. Quicken me in thy righteousness. Thy righteousness. You know,
there is no other righteousness. Only His righteousness. And think
for a moment of His perfect righteousness. Think of the perfect righteousness
the believer has in Christ. He of whom Pilate said, I find
no fault in him. He of whom that one thief on
the cross said, this man hath done nothing amiss. He of whom God the Father said,
This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. Hear ye him. He that is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, made higher than the heavens. He whom the
Lord raised from the dead. He who sits at the right hand
of the majesty on high. Consider His righteousness. Consider
His name, Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord, our righteousness, and
listen, by His obedience. Consider His righteousness and
consider this, that by His obedience, His people are made righteous. made the very righteousness of
God. Consider that righteousness,
consider the demands of the law, and then consider this, that
righteousness has already been provided for His people. The righteousness of God which
He's provided for us and for which He will accept us, it's
all in Christ. Quicken me in thy righteousness,
in the way of thy righteousness, according to the word of righteousness,
the gospel, the very righteousness of Christ, that which quickens and comforts
the heart, that which is the source of all peace. If we're ever going to have peace
and joy, it's going to be in Him, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn with me to one more passage
and I'll close. We began the service with this
Scripture, Matthew 14. Look at verse 34. When they were going over, they
came into the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place
had knowledge of him, they sent out into all the country round
about and brought unto him all that were diseased, and besought him that they might
only touch the hem of his garment. And as many as touched, were
made perfectly whole. Diseased, miserable, diseased, sick. Can you imagine, can you picture
in your mind those that were brought forth to him, what their
miserable condition must have been? That's us. That's a clear picture of us. That's a clear picture of sin.
And what did he do? He says they were made perfectly
whole. They were saved from danger.
They were rescued. Don't you just made perfectly
whole? The believer. in Christ is made perfectly whole by his righteousness, by the
righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.